The End of the Day

I step out of my office at the end of the day. Expectantly. Eagerly.

Often throughout this day my gaze has been drawn often toward the windows trying to catch a glimpse of the sun shining outside.

I’ve been frustrated that today, the only one we will see like this for a while, I am forced to stay inside.

So I leave work at the end of the day ready to enjoy what is left of the day.

I’m surprised it is not as warm outside as I had expected it to be. The sky is hazy and not quite as blue as it was earlier.

As I drive home my mind is running ahead of me.

Supper to make: thank goodness I made a big pot of vegetable soup yesterday and that there is enough left over for tonight. Dogs to feed: did I remember to take their food out of the freezer this morning? Email to answer: when I checked earlier I noticed there were a few things that need my attention. Plants to water: mustn’t forget to water the bedding plants I bought on the weekend. And other miscellaneous things I need to tend to around the house; there is always something that needs cleaning, tidying, or to be put away.

When I walk in the door the Yorkies greet me enthusiastically. I appreciate their little tails wagging and their little pink tongues giving me a quick kiss hello at the end of the day; I give them a treat to let them know how much I love them.

That window in the kitchen with the sliding glass door draws my attention, once more, toward the sun that shines outside.

I run upstairs quickly ready to shed my work clothes and change into something more comfortable, something more “me”. I pull on my capri pants and a t-shirt and hurry downstairs where the Yorkies already wait at the door. Seems they too are eager to enjoy the remainder of the sunny day.

On the patio, I pull out the new gravity chair we purchased on the weekend and sink down into it. As the Yorkies hop up onto my lap I push back to the reclining position and close my eyes.

I should take advantage of the quiet before my husband gets home to and finish the book I am reading to review. I should get up. I should get busy. I should. I should. I should.

But I don’t. For the moment I just enjoy the breeze caressing my arms and the warm sunshine hugging my legs. The sounds of the late afternoon are music to my ears: the trill of birds, the bark of a dog in the distance, the sound of a car driving past, and the laughter of a child playing nearby.

Yes there are things I should do, but for a few minutes I sit still and return to “me”.